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ORONO, Maine – A goal from Nolan Stevens just 12 seconds into overtime completed the comeback for the Northeastern men's ice hockey team (16-12-5, 9-9-3), which erased a two-goal first period deficit to top Maine (10-19-4, 4-15-2) on Friday night at Alfond Arena, 5-4.
 
The victory secures home ice for Northeastern in the opening round of the Hockey East playoffs, which begin next weekend at Matthews Arena. The Huskies can finish either seventh or eighth in the final standings depending on Saturday's results.
 
Zach Aston-Reese paced the Huskies with three points (two goals, one assist) on an evening that saw three ties and three lead changes to move into the top-10 in single season scoring (59 points) and goals (29), while Adam Gaudette broke the school record for power play goals in a season (15) en route to a two-goal effort. John Stevens also recorded his 100th career point on the evening.
 
Gaudette and Dylan Sikura (three assists) both reached 50 points on the season, giving Northeastern three players with 50 points for just the third time in team history, and first since the 1975-76 season.
 
Maine bolted out to a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game with goals from Mark Hamilton and Brendan Robbins (one goal, two assists) before Aston-Reese cut the deficit to one late in the frame to make it 2-1 through 20 minutes. NU used a pair of power play strikes in the middle frame off the sticks of Gaudette and Aston-Reese to give the Huskies a 3-2 lead midway through two periods before the Black Bears knotted the game at three in the first minute of the third period on a goal from Blaine Byron (one goal, one assist). Gaudette netted the go-ahead goal just 31 seconds later, but Maine tied the game yet again with 9:07 to go in regulation to force overtime and set up Stevens' heroics.
 
The Huskies outshot Maine 35-23 and converted on two of their power play chances in the game while holding the Black Bears to an 0-of-2 showing on the man advantage. Ryan Ruck stopped 19 shots while Rob McGovern had 30 saves at the other end.
 
Goal descriptions:
• Maine flew out to an early 1-0 lead on a goal from Hamilton less than four minutes into the game when the Black Bears capitalized on a turnover in the Northeastern zone. With the Huskies attempting to clear the puck, Blaine Byron picked the pocket of an NU blueliner before sending the puck up to Hamilton at the left point. Hamilton then threaded a shot through a slew of bodies and past Ruck for his second of the year.
 
• The Black Bears extended the lead to two less than a minute after the Hamilton tally with a goal from Robbins off a face-off in the neutral zone. After Maine gained possession of the puck at center ice, Eric Schurhamer fired a pass up to Robbins entering the attacking zone. His initial shot from the slot rang off the left post, but he followed his rebound and snuck the second attempt past Ruck from a tough angle for his sixth of the year.
 
• Northeastern got one back with 5:38 to go in the opening frame with Aston-Reese's 28th goal of the year. As the Huskies transitioned up ice, Nolan Stevens hit Aston-Reese with a pass, who then powered his way down the right side. Aston-Reese then maneuvered his way below the goal line before tossing the puck out in front looking for one of the Stevens brothers, but instead the puck caught the stick of a Maine defenseman before getting by McGovern.
 
• The Huskies leveled the score at two with a power play strike late in the second period off the stick of Adam Gaudette. With the Huskies flying into the attacking zone, Sikura received a pass at the left side and wired a shot in on McGovern that snuck through him and sat in the crease. Gaudette, however, was there to crash the net and bury the rebound to set the school record for power play goals in a season.
 
• Northeastern took its first lead of the evening with 3:49 to go in the second period on Aston-Reese's second of the night, also on the power play. Less than a minute after the Gaudette goal, Maine was sent right back to the penalty box, allowing the Huskies to take a 3-2 advantage as Sikura found John Stevens, who then quickly dished to Aston-Reese alone in the slot. Aston-Reese had enough time to settle the puck before ripping a shot that beat McGovern glove side for his 29th of the year.
 
• Maine tied the game at three less than a minute into the third period on Byron's 17th goal of the year after he wheeled around the net and stationed himself on the doorstep before a bid from Robbins redirected off the stick of an NU defenseman and right to Byron for the easy tap in.
 
• NU responded just 31 seconds after the Byron goal when Gaudette rocketed home his second of the game after a strong shift from the line with Sikura and Sam Kurker. Kurker began the play by winning a puck battle along the half wall before dishing to Sikura in the face-off dot. Sikura then saucered a slick backhand across to Gaudette, who fired a shot off the left post and in to give the Huskies a 4-3 edge.
 
• The Black Bears kept fighting, though, and tied the game yet again with 9:07 to go in regulation when Vesey hopped off the bench, grabbed a loose puck, flew past a Husky blue line and roofed a backhand over the glove of Ruck for his 10th of the season.
 
• Northeastern won it just 12 seconds into the extra session on Nolan Stevens' seventh of the season. After John Stevens won the opening face-off back to Garret Cockerill, Cockerill's pass up ice landed on the stick of Aston-Reese. Aston-Reese then worked his way down the zone, toe dragging around a defender and sending the puck into a dangerous area, where Nolan was there to send it top shelf with a backhand for the winner.

Stats of the game:
• Northeastern is now 45-56-19 all-time against Maine, and has won five straight games against the Black Bears for the first time since 1984-85. It was Northeastern's first regular season overtime victory since Jan. 7, 2014 at Providence (2-1).
 
• Aston-Reese now leads the nation in points (59), points per game (1.79), goals (29), two-goal games (eight), hat tricks (three), four-point games (four) and is tied for the nation's lead in shorthanded goals (four), three-point games (10)
 
• Aston-Reese is now tied for 14th on Northeastern's all-time scoring list with 144 career points (64 goals, 80 assists), for 14th in career goals and 20th in all-time assists.
 
• Aston-Reese is now tied for ninth in single-season points (59) and tied for 10th in single-season goals (29) in Northeastern history.
 
• Aston-Reese's first period goal gave him 100 points (42 goals, 58 assists) in the last two seasons. He is the eighth player in team history to accomplish the feat.
 
• Aston-Reese's 29 goals on the season are the most for a Husky since Sandy Beadle in 1980-81. He is one goal away from becoming's Northeastern's first 30-goal, 30-assist player since 1985-86 (Jay Heinbuck).
 
• Aston-Reese (56), Gaudette (52) and Sikura (51) have given Northeastern three 50-point scorers for just the third time in program history, and first since the 1975-76 season.
 
• Gaudette's power play goal broke the Northeastern school record for power play goals in a season (15), previously held by Rod Isbister in 1984-85.
 
• Gaudette extended his point streak to 12 games (15 goals, six assists), the longest for any Husky this season. He also has at least one goal in each of his last eight games.

• Sikura's 33 assists are tied for fourth in the nation this season, are tied for 11th on Northeastern's single-season assists list, and are the most helpers for a Husky since 1993-94 (Mike Taylor, 46).
 
• The Northeastern power play unit has converted 48 times this season, the most in the nation and the most for the Huskies since 1995-96.

The road ahead:
• The teams will meet again tomorrow night in the regular season finale at Alfond Arena. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m.